“Delightful and charming. A swashbuckling adventure in the vein of Robert Louis Stevenson.” ―#1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson

“Readers will root for star-crossed lovers, Kit and Morgana, and delight in their ‘opposites attract' romance, drawn onward by a rollicking plot…. Fantasy readers, especially fans of Catherynne Valente's work, will enjoy the author's elegant turns of phrase. A first purchase for all fantasy collections.” ―School Library Journal, Starred Review

“Spells, wishes and fantastical creatures aside, this rollicking yarn owes more to R.L. Stevenson than J.K. Rowling. Kit's wry voice provides a fine pastiche of old-fashioned tale-telling… enlivened by breakneck pacing, colorful similes and a sly wit aimed at modern sensibilities…. Kit himself is as brave, clever and good-natured an orphan lad as ever buckled a swash. The promise of more adventures to come provides happily-ever-after enough. They can still write 'em like they used to; hurrah!” ―Kirkus Reviews

“While the journey isn't quick, it never grows tedious--danger, magic, and intrigue wait at every turn. Tripp infuses his story with whimsy, humor, and derring-do, and his miniature spot illustrations and handful of lovely full-page pieces add to the overall charm.” ―Publishers Weekly

“Tripp builds a richly imagined fantasy world, captured both in Kit's dry, witty first-person narrative and Tripp's detailed illustrations. The complex political machinations… make for a compelling and quietly sinister background thrum that builds until the exciting concluding battle, which handily leaves room for more adventures in the planned trilogy. Fans of classic adventure will find plenty to like here.” ―Booklist

The Accidental Highwayman is the first swashbuckling adventure for young adults by talented author and illustrator, Ben Tripp. This thrilling tale of dark magic and true love is the perfect story for fans of William Goldman’s The Princess Bride.

In eighteenth-century England, young Christopher “Kit” Bristol is the unwitting servant of notorious highwayman Whistling Jack. One dark night, Kit finds his master bleeding from a mortal wound, dons the man’s riding cloak to seek help, and changes the course of his life forever. Mistaken for Whistling Jack and on the run from redcoats, Kit is catapulted into a world of magic and wonders he thought the stuff of fairy tales.

Bound by magical law, Kit takes up his master’s quest to rescue a rebellious fairy princess from an arranged marriage to King George III of England. But his task is not an easy one, for Kit must contend with the feisty Princess Morgana, gobling attacks, and a magical map that portends his destiny: as a hanged man upon the gallows….

Fans of classic fairy-tale fantasies such as Stardust by Neil Gaiman and will find much to love in this irresistible YA debut by Ben Tripp, the son of one of America’s most beloved illustrators, Wallace Tripp (Amelia Bedelia). Following in his father’s footsteps, Ben has woven illustrations throughout the story.

“Delightful and charming. A swashbuckling adventure in the vein of Robert Louis Stevenson.” —#1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson

You can purchaseThe Accidental Highwayman at the following Retailers:

BOOK TRAILERS!"A GIANT BOOK"

The Accidental Highwayman Trailer One

The idea was to capture some of the settings and atmospheres of the novel by visiting haunted forests and sunny sheep-flecked meadows of England. In general none of this went off quite as planned.

"THE AUTHOR AT WORK"The Accidental Highwayman Trailer Two Ultimately the challenge of adventure proved too enticing and the sport of Extreme Reading was born. What makes a book more interesting? Peril.

"A PASTORAL READING"

The Accidental Highwayman Trailer Three

The next idea was to go indoors where it was nice and quiet and shoot a video there in the safety of the author's elegant writing room.

"EXTREME READING"

The Accidental Highwayman Trailer Four

Chapter 1A PROCLAMATION AT MARKET

I DROVE THE little cart into town on a fine June morning. It was a bright day, and the country round about was green and fresh—what I could see of it past the backside of Old Nell, the dappled mare. I had a neatly inked list of things to buy at market, just enough coppers to buy them with, and that was the extent of my cares.

Market days were one of the great delights of my life back then. I liked the company of the crowd. There's nothing like mingling with a great many people to make solitude seem more pleasant. It was lonely at the Rattle Manse, where I was the only servant. My master, James Rattle, had no one else beneath his roof. It was but the two of us in the big, drafty house, excepting a bulldog named Demon, three horses, and some pigs. Even the pigs spent most of their time elsewhere, rooting for acorns in the dark woods thereabouts.

There was vanity involved, too—I might as well admit it. As a small boy I would have been proud to own a pair of shoes, so it felt very grand to go into town with brass buckles on my feet, commissioned to spend another man's money. Forgive my pride: Respectability is like wine. It goes straight to the head of one who hasn't had it before.

And besides, market days were entertaining. The entire market was like a big theater, every stall a stage, with the actors bellowing out their parts: "Two for a penny!" "A dozen for the price of ten!"

There were also people whose entire trade was entertainment for its own sake. Some were actors, and put on plays; others specialized in puppet shows, or displays of juggling, sword swallowing, gymnastic feats, and magic. In these performances I took special pleasure because I had, until recently, counted myself among the entertainers.

Before I took up service at the Rattle Manse, I had toured for several years with Trombonio's Traveling Wonder Show as "The Infant Daredevil," tramping the British Isles from one end to the other with a company of acrobats, clowns, and novelty acts, as well as Frieda the Tattooed Camel and an elderly baboon named Fred. My own role was that of trick horse-rider. I would spur my mount to a gallop and then dance about on its back, dangle from the stirrups, perform hand-springs, and generally risk death. The act became second nature and I seldom met with accidents, but when I did fall off, the crowds liked it all the better.

It was this trick-riding that had caught the eye of Master Rattle. He had attended a performance by the Wonder Show, and later that night, played cards with Mr. Fortescue Trombonio (birth name Gilbert Tubbins). Neither of them having much money, Master Rattle staked his fine sword, and Mr. Trombonio my documents of indenture. So it was, with a flourish of kings, I entered my present service.

Photo Content from Ben Tripp

After a childhood making art and a brief stint at the Rhode Island School of Design, BEN TRIPP worked as an experiential designer for over twenty years, creating theme parks, resorts, museums, and attractions worldwide. He is the author of the adult novels Rise Again, Rise Again: Below Zero, and the forthcoming Fifth Chamber of the Heart. The Accidental Highwayman is his first book for young adults.